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A J.D. Power & Associates survey found the customer-satisfaction ratings of North American airlines rose 15 points from 2009 to 673 on a 1,000-point scale. The improvement comes as air fares declined, flights arrived on time more often and less luggage was lost. "There have been fewer passengers and less congestion," said Stuart Greif, general manager for global travel and hospitality at J.D. Power. "Now fares are starting to pick back up, and as more passengers return to the skies, it remains to be seen whether those gains will be short-lived or airlines can build on them."

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The overall hotel-guest satisfaction score for the year in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study hit 757 on a 1,000-point scale, dropping seven index points from results in 2011. The company attributes the decline to a larger volume of guests as travel continues to rise. "What's happening is that as expectations have come back, hotels companies that have been running with lower staffs and putting of capital expenditures have fallen further behind in meeting guest expectations," said Stuart Greif, a vice president and general manager with J.D. Power.

A survey by J.D. Power and Associates survey reveals a drop in passenger satisfaction with North American airlines. Although satisfaction had risen recently, it dropped this year to an average score of 681 on a 1,000-point scale, a two-point decrease from last year. Stuart Greif, a J.D. Power and Associates vice president, explains that airlines are caught in a difficult position trying to balance customer desire with low prices, comfort and a high level of service with the economic challenges of recent years.

A J.D. Power & Associates survey found the customer-satisfaction ratings of North American airlines rose 15 points from 2009 to 673 on a 1,000-point scale. The improvement comes as air fares declined, flights arrived on time more often and less luggage was lost. "There have been fewer passengers and less congestion," said Stuart Greif, general manager for global travel and hospitality at J.D. Power. "Now fares are starting to pick back up, and as more passengers return to the skies, it remains to be seen whether those gains will be short-lived or airlines can build on them."

Washington announced a "major aviation security milestone" this week as TSA took over from the airlines responsibility for checking all domestic passengers against terrorist watch lists. The initiative, known as Secure Flight, is not yet complete: By the end of the year, TSA hopes to take over name-check duties for passengers arriving in the U.S. via direct flights on international airlines.

In the 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, passengers ranked New York's LaGuardia and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International as the worst of 66 airports in terms of customer satisfaction. "There are things airports can do and move up as well as slip, unfortunately as is the case with all three airports in the New York area," said Stuart Greif, vice president and general manager of global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power, referring to Newark, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International. "All three airports went down in every measure."